Geopolitical tensions have now eased, leaving freight rates to feel the full effects of the weak underlying market and falling demand. Tanker shipping looks set to be under pressure for the rest of the year.

In 2016 the dry bulk shipping sector experienced some of the worst market conditions in history. In response, BIMCO produced a unique analysis model, named "Road to Recovery" to highlight actions needed for the struggling shipping markets to recover - and to track their progress.

State of the Bunker Industry - Examining the Key Issues Stakeholders Face Today

26 May 2020

This is not the post-2020 environment we expected. The event examined the key issues that marine fuel stakeholders from buyers to suppliers face today. How did we get here, and what can we expect in the months ahead? Is there any IMO 2020 hangover at all, or is the focus now only on dealing with the reality of new market dynamics and the changing economic landscape? Peter Sand, Chief Shipping Analyst, BIMCO provided the Shipowners' Perspective.

Impact of COVID-19 on Future Shipping Demand with BIMCO's Peter Sand

14 May 2020

From the drastic decrease in oil demand to lockdown in manufacturing, Peter provided an overview of the macroeconomic challenges being faced by individual shipping sectors and subsequently indicators of how the breakbulk and project cargo sectors are faring through the current pandemic.

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Get analysis of the dry bulk, oil tanker and container markets. The BIMCO shipping market analysis team writes a mix of quick insight and deep analysis with a focus on the fundamentals: supply and demand.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised down its predictions for global growth in 2019 and 2020. It forecasts growth to be 3.5% in 2019 and 3.6% in 2020. This means a dampening of global growth over the next two years, as growth in 2018 is estimated to be 3.7% The slowdown will affect both advanced and emerging economies.

European containerised imports look likely to be stuck with demand growth of no more than 2% for years to come. That means the long-hauls into northern and southern Europe, where Ultra Large Containerships are perfectly suited to reap the benefits of economies of scale, will suffer unless cascading is accelerated.

Container imports on both the US East Coast (USEC) and West Coast (USWC) had a strong year in 2018, growing 3.7% and 8% respectively in the first 11 months of the year compared to the same period in 2017.

2018 has been a slow year for dry bulk demolitions, with only 4.2 million DWT scrapped (as of 17 December), down 71.6% compared to last year. An almost total halt in Panamax demolitions has been an important factor behind this fall, with demolition in every ship segment down.

This article contains extracts from BIMCO's Reflections 2019, which will be available in full on 2 January 2019 on www.bimco.org and will be sent out to all BIMCO members alongside thier free member copy of BIMCO's Holiday Calendar 2019.

BIMCO’s Chief Shipping Analyst will be participating at the INTERCEM Shipping Forum in Rome, Italy on 22 January 2019 and the Slide2Open Shipping Finance Conference in Athens, Greece on 24 January 2019.

The continued severity of the tanker market conditions has made owners dig deep into the oversupply of capacity. Still BIMCO expects the tanker fleet to keep growing. A short-term rate recovery is not expected, as it is ‘maintenance season’ for the global refining industry in September and October.